Will I Have to Lie in My Statement of Purpose?

[dpatnd]

Let me begin by stating the obvious: I do not mean lying about anything that can be factually checked, like grades, honors, or experiences.

I am currently a junior majoring in physics, and my immediate post-graduation plans are to attend graduate school in physics. On paper, I seem to be on track to being a halfway-decent candidate: 3.97 cumulative GPA, 4.0 major GPA, and four semesters of undergraduate research. I am also currently applying for summer REU programs, and it was writing essays for these applications which made me realize something: I do not really have any justification for participating in these programs, let alone attending graduate school. It came as quite a shock when I saw just how commonplace was the basic question “why?” or some variation of it, such as “what are your career goals?” Whether it be for REU programs or graduate programs, I see everywhere prompts which demand I state why I want to do what I intend to do and even, on occasion, what I plan to do many years from now.

To put it simply, I have no answer to these questions. Why do I want to attend graduate school? Because it is what I decided I will do. There is not a deeper reason. You could also ask me why I work hard to get good grades. It is not because I have some far-off goal that necessitates good grades; I get good grades because that is what I decided must happen. To be perfectly honest, this mode of thinking in terms of reasons for doing something is rather foreign to me. I have never thought in this way. Then again, I am also autistic.

There is, of course, the associated question pertaining to future career plans. This, too, is somewhat foreign. I have never been one to think in terms of anything beyond the immediate present. In fact, one thing I have learned about myself over the past few years is that I cannot. I spent a good year and a half of my undergraduate career “thinking” about what I might like to do in the future. The result was that my brain would just enter an infinite loop that stopped me from being able to function in the present, not to mention feeling terribly anxious all the time. Thus, I stopped. If you asked me right now “what I want to do,” my answer would be that I want to get my physics problem set done and to get started on my philosophy reading. Anything beyond these due dates is not under my consideration.

And so, we arrive at the dilemma. What am I to do about my statements of purpose when the time comes to apply? As I see it, I have nothing really to write beyond “I am interested in X, you have several faculty members doing research in X, and Professor Y’s research seems particularly interesting.” Thinking back to my undergraduate applications, the truth is that I did lie when it came to similar questions. I felt sick doing so and would prefer to never do it again. However, as I see it, I may be left with no choice but to once again invent reasons for X and career plans in Y.

 

[symbolipoint]

I did not even read what you posted yet (but I will later). In response just to the topic title, TERRIBLE IDEA!

 

[symbolipoint]

applying for summer REU programs, and it was writing essays for these applications which made me realize something: I do not really have any justification for participating in these programs, let alone attending graduate school. It came as quite a shock when I saw just how commonplace was the basic question “why?” or some variation of it, such as “what are your career goals?” Whether it be for REU programs or graduate programs, I see everywhere prompts which demand I state why I want to do what I intend to do and even, on occasion, what I plan to do many years from now.

I just now started to actually read your post. I still say DO NOT LIE ON THIS S.o.P.

You really do need to think about why you are studying what you are, and what you want to do in further study (Masters', PhD), and even what do afterward, or what you hope, but some of this you may not yet know. But lie about it is no good at all.

 

[symbolipoint]

To put it simply, I have no answer to these questions. Why do I want to attend graduate school? Because it is what I decided I will do. There is not a deeper reason. You could also ask me why I work hard to get good grades. It is not because I have some far-off goal that necessitates good grades; I get good grades because that is what I decided must happen. To be perfectly honest, this mode of thinking in terms of reasons for doing something is rather foreign to me. I have never thought in this way. Then again, I am also autistic.

Right now, I do not care too much that you either are, or have labeled yourself autistic. If you can function well academically, then this is important.

Here is something for you to think: You chose major field to be Physics. You apparently did not choose a major field of Business Management, nor Public Administration, nor Nursing, nor Bio-Medical Engineering, nor English Langauge & Literature, nor Physical Education. I could include more items for this list. So, can YOU explain this?

 

[symbolipoint]

What am I to do about my statements of purpose when the time comes to apply? As I see it, I have nothing really to write beyond “I am interested in X, you have several faculty members doing research in X, and Professor Y’s research seems particularly interesting.” Thinking back to my undergraduate applications, the truth is that I did lie when it came to similar questions. I felt sick doing so and would prefer to never do it again. However, as I see it, I may be left with no choice but to once again invent reasons for X and career plans in Y.

NO! NO, NO! Do not lie in writing your statement of purpose. You at least made a good start according to, “I am interested in X, you have several faculty members doing research in X, and Professor Y’s research seems particularly interesting.”

Up to now, you chose Physics for a major field in which to earn Bachelors of some-kind degree. Once you are maybe two years into your Physics courses, can you identify some topic or some subtopic which you also want to choose to learn more on that? If yes, than can you explain the choice?

 

[Vanadium 50]

One cannot build a career in science on a bedrock of dishonesty.

 

[StatGuy2000]

One cannot build a career in science on a bedrock of dishonesty.

I agree with you and @symbolipoint on this -- a career in any field, including science, cannot be built on a bedrock of dishonesty.

But the OP is asking the question of how to think and answer about future career plans. Someone who is completing a BS in physics and planning on applying to graduate school will have a difficult time thinking about career opportunities. This may be especially the case in physics, where career opportunities outside of academia may not be immediately obvious.

More broadly, how should a potential physics grad school applicant think about this? What should students consider when writing about this in their statement of purpose?

 

[Vanadium 50]

is asking the question of how to think and answer about future career plans.

Is he?

He opened with "don't worry - I'll make sure not to lie about something easily checked". Not a good start.

 

[dpatnd]

Is he?

He opened with "don't worry - I'll make sure not to lie about something easily checked". Not a good start.

I would say it is not only not easily checked, but uncheckable.

More importantly, it is the sort of lie I see condoned under a different name: telling the admissions committee/job interviewer/etc. what they want to hear. After all, it seems common practice in job interviews to give reasons why one may want to work at that company in particular when, in fact, they have applied to hundreds of positions and would be happy with anything. Under those conditions, they invent answers that are likely to get them the job, and the majority of us seem to be understanding of it.

It is this practice I would prefer to avoid in my SoP, but which I may have to engage in.

 

[dpatnd]

So, can YOU explain this?

In a way, I really cannot. If someone were to ask me why I am majoring in physics, my immediate reaction would be to say, "because I decided several years ago that I would study physics." The fact is that I was also considering linguistics, anthropology, history, mathematics, engineering, and other fields. Had I chosen one of those other ones, we may well have ended up in this exact same position: me being asked to explain why I chose, say, history and not physics. My response would then be the same as it is now save for a single word.

 

[dpatnd]

NO! NO, NO! Do not lie in writing your statement of purpose. You at least made a good start according to, “I am interested in X, you have several faculty members doing research in X, and Professor Y’s research seems particularly interesting.”

Up to now, you chose Physics for a major field in which to earn Bachelors of some-kind degree. Once you are maybe two years into your Physics courses, can you identify some topic or some subtopic which you also want to choose to learn more on that? If yes, than can you explain the choice?

I can indeed identify such a subtopic. Both in my REUs and in my future graduate school applications, I will state an intention to do research in condensed matter physics with an emphasis on the electronic properties of materials.
Unfortunately, I cannot explain that choice in a manner more detailed than "because I want to."

 

[hutchphd]

Do not concoct lies for your statement of purpose. It is a very bad idea.
By the same token you needn't dwell upon the existantial conundrum. We all have it.
Mention your current future projections and try to tie them to the programs affered at XYZ University. Talk about the courses you have enjoyed and parts that you found particularly interesting. If you are good at (or enjoy) teaching you should mention that. Turn your doubts into possibilities and mention that many avenues are interesting and you are not a narrow human (this will sound better if your Physics record is solid)
In general be positive without sounding insane. These days it may be difficult!

 

[symbolipoint]

More importantly, it is the sort of lie I see condoned under a different name: telling the admissions committee/job interviewer/etc. what they want to hear. After all, it seems common practice in job interviews to give reasons why one may want to work at that company in particular when, in fact, they have applied to hundreds of positions and would be happy with anything. Under those conditions, they invent answers that are likely to get them the job, and the majority of us seem to be understanding of it.

That is tricky and potentially risky. Lie the right way and you could be hired for a job you will soon not want. Maybe you were qualified, but it is into a position that you will not like.

 

[symbolipoint]

"because I decided several years ago that I would study physics."

This is something that you yourself need to understand.

Let me ask this: Did you choose Physics simply because you needed to make an arbitrary decision so you will make some progress in something, so as not to be without a path? ( I am having trouble arranging the wording to that, so I hope you understand what I'm asking.)

 

[Vanadium 50]

would say it is not only not easily checked, but uncheckable.

Which makes lying ok then?

Your position is that you want to take advantage of opportunities that rightfully belong to others via dishonesty. Forgive me if I consider that turdery of the highest order. Furthermore, science is all about finding out what is, and not what we might wish would be. There is no room for liars.

 

[Keith_McClary]

Has anyone been on the receiving end of these S.o.P.? What do they say and how does that jibe with the percentages of graduates that achieve their goal. I'm guessing "academic research" wold be a popular ambition.
What sort of decisions are made based on S.o.P.'s?

 

[sysprog]

I would say it is not only not easily checked, but uncheckable.

More importantly, it is the sort of lie I see condoned under a different name: telling the admissions committee/job interviewer/etc. what they want to hear. After all, it seems common practice in job interviews to give reasons why one may want to work at that company in particular when, in fact, they have applied to hundreds of positions and would be happy with anything. Under those conditions, they invent answers that are likely to get them the job, and the majority of us seem to be understanding of it.

It is this practice I would prefer to avoid in my SoP, but which I may have to engage in.

I think that you've already blown it for high-trust positions, just by what you've said here, and that yes, we can find out that you said it, and if you apply for such a position, we probably will find that out.

I've done mainframe data security for a major bank that did/does 'data processing' for over 700 other banks. If I had prior to applying there ever said such dishonesty-approving things as you've just said here in this thread, the decorated Lieutenant Colonel who was my boss, and who had previously been in charge of the DoD Trusted Computing Systems 'Tiger Team', would not have hired me. In all probability he would have found out that I had said such things (although there wasn't such an internet back then in the early '90s), and would then not have deemed me to be trustworthy, even if I could have with such a dishonest frame of mind passed a lesser interview. He needed only to look me in the eye. I think that you can't while lying pass such scrutiny as that.

Maybe some guys could get away with such abhorrent dishonesty, but I'm pretty sure that I couldn't. People know me. That's what counts. I've never needed TS Clearance, because the guys and gals know me.

Honestly, honesty isn't just the best policy; it's also almost always the best practice $-$ I say almost, because in some rare roles and situations, you could perhaps sometimes even have an actual duty to prevaricate or dissimulate, and maybe telling a gal that she looks terrible in that dress might not be merely honest $-$ it could be just plain mean $-$ but making false statements to a prospective employer or to a school admissions office is almost always wrong.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Suppose you go all the way and get a PhD. Are you going to tell the truth in your grant proposals? Or are you going "to tell the funding agency what they want to hear"? And if the latter, how about the publications that back up the proposal? Will they be a pack of lies as well?

 

[dpatnd]

Which makes lying ok then?

Your position is that you want to take advantage of opportunities that rightfully belong to others via dishonesty. Forgive me if I consider that turdery of the highest order. Furthermore, science is all about finding out what is, and not what we might wish would be. There is no room for liars.

It seems to me, then, that quite a few of my professors are "liars" who "took advantage of opportunities" that rightfully belonged to others. I say this because many of them have told me that, when applying for graduate school, they were not at all sure why they were doing it. They had no specific career plans in mind, and certainly were not planning on becoming faculty. In short, many of them applied to graduate school because "it was the path of least resistance," to quote one professor in particular. Now, I will guess that their applications were not fully honest in the sense that they most likely did not say "I am applying because I had no clue what else to do." Had they done so, they likely would not have been accepted. Are they, therefore, liars?

Moreover, permit me to ask the following: do opportunities rightfully belong only to those who can put into words why they want that opportunity? Is a competent person to be barred from all professions if they cannot state a reason for why they want a specific job? To go further still, am I undeserving of the "opportunity" of being alive if I cannot defend to others why it is necessary that I live?

 

[sysprog]

I agree with what @Vanadium 50 said, and to add to it: I think that there's almost always verbiage on a grant application that make it criminal fraud to lie on it about your credentials, or about anything else that matters $-$ and outside of criminality, I wouldn't trust someone with anything important if I learned that he lied about his favorite color.

 

[Office_Shredder]

This thread is out of control. It's a fluff question, let's not get worked up about it.

Has anyone been on the receiving end of these S.o.P.? What do they say and how does that jibe with the percentages of graduates that achieve their goal. I'm guessing "academic research" wold be a popular ambition.
What sort of decisions are made based on S.o.P.'s?

This seems like the only pertinent question. What kind of answer do people normally put on these. You probably know some professors who run REUs of their own and can give you some guidance. The normal answer probably looks like 'i want to go to grad school' and assuming you want to do that, you should be fine.

 

[sysprog]

This thread is out of control. It's a fluff question, let's not get worked up about it

I think that in the scenario as presented being honest matters.

 

[hutchphd]

This thread is out of control. It's a fluff question, let's not get worked up about it.

Yes I am more than a little bit surprised by the vehement responses.
The OP question as I read it is " should I imagine a reasonable future for myself and present it as plan" not "should I make up lies about myself and my expectations and and peddle it" . There are many ways to present the same facts. The best salespeople (I am not one) are not liars. The ability to persuasively present facts is a useful skill: can anyone say "grant application"? I believe that is what this essay is meant to represent on an application. The OP question represents an inquiry as to the actual norms in the field and not a desire for sanction. Just read the title...Do I Have to Lie...

 

[sysprog]

@hutchphd, isn't his questioning whether he "has to lie" more than a little bit invitational of us taking a bit of a dim view about it?

 

[symbolipoint]

It seems to me, then, that quite a few of my professors are "liars" who "took advantage of opportunities" that rightfully belonged to others. I say this because many of them have told me that, when applying for graduate school, they were not at all sure why they were doing it. They had no specific career plans in mind, and certainly were not planning on becoming faculty. In short, many of them applied to graduate school because "it was the path of least resistance," to quote one professor in particular. Now, I will guess that their applications were not fully honest in the sense that they most likely did not say "I am applying because I had no clue what else to do." Had they done so, they likely would not have been accepted. Are they, therefore, liars?

How to look at the value of this yet is not clear. Those professors while having no real answer, used some creativity; but they were also as one may assume, qualified based on their course grades, and official standard examinations.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Those professors while having no real answer

Let's be clear - the OP is guessing here. (and accusing the faculty of reprehensible behavior) without evidence. Based solely on his guesses.

We don't know what they wrote. However, it may have been entirely truthful: "I am not sure exactly what I want to be doing but I have an interest in X, Y, and Z." lots of statements look like this.

 

[Keith_McClary]

He always wanted a Ph.D. in physics. He finally earned it at 89​

I wonder if he wrote a S.o.P.

 

[symbolipoint]

He always wanted a Ph.D. in physics. He finally earned it at 89​

I wonder if he wrote a S.o.P.

He very very likely did. (just a guess?)

 

[berkeman]

It seems to me, then, that quite a few of my professors are "liars" who "took advantage of opportunities" that rightfully belonged to others. I say this because many of them have told me that, when applying for graduate school, they were not at all sure why they were doing it. They had no specific career plans in mind, and certainly were not planning on becoming faculty. In short, many of them applied to graduate school because "it was the path of least resistance," to quote one professor in particular.

So it sounds like you will end up in Academia. That can be a good path as well.

You have gotten good advice in this thread like "don't lie" and "think about what you have enjoyed the most so far" and "make it clear that you are still considering several options going forward.

I think it's time to tie off this thread. Thanks to all who have tried to help the OP.

 

[russ_watters]

This thread is out of control. It's a fluff question, let's not get worked up about it.

I agree that its a fluff question, but to me there's an issue of math/proportionality here: Less important doesn't mean to me that its more acceptable to lie, it just means that it's less important to have a good answer. The fact that dishonesty is part of the equation (the dependent variable/subject of the equation!) at all is what is concerning.